With the hood released, you will also need to release the safety latch located at the front of the vehicle. If you are having difficulty locating the hood release or safety latch, refer to your owner’s manual for guidance.

Slide the cable off of the terminal and tuck it to the side of the battery. You will not need to disconnect the positive terminal.

Engine covers may be held in place by plastic clips, so take care not to break them as you remove the covers. If you cannot find your serpentine belt, refer to the service manual for your specific vehicle.

Most serpentine belts need to be replaced every 40,000 to 70,000 miles. If there are signs of the belt rubbing on something, make sure to identify and repair whatever it was rubbing on to avoid damaging the new belt.

Look in the owner’s or service manual for your specific year, make and model vehicle for a diagram. You can also take a picture of the existing belt with your cell phone to use as a guide when installing the new one.

If your vehicle does not have a tensioner pulley, the alternator bracket is likely how tension is set on the belt. Refer to your vehicle’s service manual to confirm what type of tensioner your vehicle uses if you aren’t sure.

Depending on the positioning of the tensioner pulley you may need to twist the tensioner clockwise or counterclockwise. Be sure to use the right size socket to avoid stripping the bolt head on the tensioner.

Loosen the bolts enough to move the alternator, but don’t remove them.

If the belt is severely damaged, be sure to remove any parts that may have come off of it as well.

If the new belt is not the same width as the old one, it is the wrong belt. Make sure the new belt doesn’t show any signs of damage from the factory or it may tear after you install it.

The belt should be long enough to route around all of the pulleys except the tensioner until you relieve the pressure on it. If the belt is loose after routing it, it is either the wrong size belt or you’ve routed it incorrectly.

It may be difficult to apply pressure to the tensioner and route the belt, so you may want to ask a friend to help.

You may need help tightening the bolts as you apply pressure to the alternator. Be careful not to pry against anything plastic in your engine bay to avoid breaking anything.